Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/2/2025, 10:01:21 PM
Added description
@acragas:place {ancient_city: true, region: "Sicily", modern_equivalent: "Akragas"}
@gela:place {region: "Sicily"}
@syracuse:place {region: "Sicily"}
@libya:place {region: "North Africa"}
@carthage:place {region: "North Africa"}
@carthaginian_camp:place {part_of: @carthage}
@assembly:place {type: "public assembly"}
@sacred_hut:place {type: "sacred hut"}
@altar:place {type: "altar"}
@city_unspecified:place {description: "unspecified city in Libya"}
@acragas_men:organization {type: "citizen militia", location: @acragas}
@carthaginians:organization {type: "Carthaginian forces", location: @carthage}
@libyans:organization {type: "Libyan forces", location: @libya}
@barbarians:organization {type: "Barbarian forces", location: @libya}
@mercenaries:organization {type: "mercenary troops", leader: @agathocles}
@bodyguard_crowd:organization {type: "crowd serving as bodyguard"}
@agathocles:person {role: "Tyrant of Syracuse", period: @date_307_BCE}
@leptines:person {role: "Commander", affiliation: @acragas}
@xenodocus:person {role: "Accused official"}
@dionysius:person {role: "Earlier tyrant of Syracuse", period: "pre-307 BCE"}
@policy_goodwill:concept {description: "policy of gaining goodwill through wine"}
@wine_truth_discovery:concept {description: "discovering truth through wine"}
@wind:concept {description: "sudden blast of wind"}
@battle_leptines:event {description: "Leptines routed the men of Acragas", when: @date_307_BCE, casualties: {foot_soldiers: 500, horsemen: 50}}
@agathocles_sacrifice:event {description: "Agathocles sacrificed to the gods after victories", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_entertainments:event {description: "Agathocles gave lavish entertainments for friends", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_drinking_bout:event {description: "Agathocles' drinking bouts where he revealed truth through wine", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_mocking:event {description: "Agathocles mocked assembly members", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_flee_to_gela:event {description: "Agathocles fled to Gela after being accused", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_libya_campaign:event {description: "Agathocles' campaign in Libya", when: @date_307_BCE, outcome: "mixed"}
@night_fire_incident:event {description: "Carthaginians' night sacrifice fire caused by wind, burning sacred hut", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_battle_barbarians:event {description: "Battle between Agathocles and barbarian camp", when: @date_307_BCE, result: "agathocles held out then withdrew"}
@agathocles_withdrawal:event {description: "Agathocles withdrew toward his camp", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles_sacking_camp:event {description: "Agathocles' forces sacked Carthaginian camp", when: @date_307_BCE}
@army:organization {type: "Agathocles' army"}
@campaign_decision:concept {description: "to secure rule by eliminating potential threats"}
@file_pinax -> documents -> @agathocles_libya_campaign:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_315 -> documents -> @battle_leptines:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_315 -> documents -> @agathocles_flee_to_gela:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_317 -> documents -> @agathocles_sacrifice:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_317 -> documents -> @agathocles_entertainments:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_317 -> documents -> @agathocles_mocking:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_319 -> documents -> @agathocles_libya_campaign:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_321 -> documents -> @night_fire_incident:event
@file_diodorus_siculus_volume_x_book_xx_page_323 -> documents -> @night_fire_incident:event
@agathocles -> led -> @agathocles_libya_campaign:event
@agathocles -> performed -> @agathocles_sacrifice:event
@agathocles -> gave -> @agathocles_entertainments:event
@agathocles -> used -> @policy_goodwill:concept
@agathocles -> used -> @wine_truth_discovery:concept
@agathocles -> mocked -> @assembly:place {context: @agathocles_mocking:event}
@agathocles -> entered -> @assembly:place {with: @bodyguard_crowd, when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_mocking:event}
@agathocles -> compared to -> @dionysius:person {context: @agathocles_mocking:event}
@agathocles -> fled -> @gela:place {when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_flee_to_gela:event}
@leptines -> routed -> @acragas_men:organization {when: @date_307_BCE, casualties: {foot_soldiers: 500, horsemen: 50}}
@acragas -> brought charges against -> @xenodocus:person {when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles -> invited -> @libyans:organization {to: "banquet", when: @date_307_BCE}
@agathocles -> slaughtered -> @libyans:organization {when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}
@agathocles -> slaughtered -> @mercenaries:organization {when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}
@agathocles -> sailed -> @syracuse:place {when: @date_307_BCE, after: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}
@agathocles -> arrived -> @libya:place {when: @date_307_BCE, after: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}
@agathocles -> found -> @army:organization {status: "discouraged", location: @libya:place}
@agathocles -> decided -> @campaign_decision:concept
@agathocles -> held out -> @agathocles_battle_barbarians:event
@agathocles -> withdrew -> @agathocles_withdrawal:event
@carthaginians -> performed -> @night_fire_incident:event {context: "sacrifice"}
@night_fire_incident -> caused by -> @wind:concept
@night_fire_incident -> burned -> @sacred_hut:place
@night_fire_incident -> burned -> @altar:placeDiodorus of Sicily πολιτικῆς ἐν ἀνέσει καὶ σκιατροφίᾳ γεγενημένης, τῆς δ᾿ ἐν ἀγραυλίᾳ καὶ συνεχέσι στρατείαις γεγυμνασμένης. 5διὸ καὶ μάχης γενομένης οἱ περὶ τὸν Λεπτίνην ταχὺ τοὺς Ἀκραγαντίνους τρεψάμενοι συνεδίωξαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν· ἔπεσον δ᾿ ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως τῶν ἡττηθέντων πεζοὶ μὲν περὶ πεντακοσίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ πλείω τῶν πεντήκοντα. εἶθ᾿ οἱ μὲν Ἀκραγαντῖνοι δυσφοροῦντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλαττώμασιν ἐν αἰτίαις εἶχον τὸν Ξενόδοκον, ὡς δι᾿ ἐκεῖνον δὶς ἡττημένοι· ὁ δὲ φοβηθεὶς τὰς ἐπιφερομένας εὐθύνας καὶ κρίσεις ἀπεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γέλαν. 63. Ἀγαθοκλῆς δὲ ἐν ἡμέραις ὀλίγαις καὶ πεζῇ καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν νενικηκὼς τοὺς πολεμίους ἔθυε τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ λαμπρὰς ὑποδοχὰς τῶν φίλων ἐποιεῖτο. ἀπετίθετο δ᾿ ἐν τοῖς πότοις τὸ τῆς τυραννίδος ἀξίωμα καὶ τῶν τυχόντων ἰδιωτῶν ταπεινότερον ἑαυτὸν ἀπεδείκνυεν, ἅμα μὲν διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης πολιτείας θηρώμενος τὴν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν εὔνοιαν ἅμα δὲ διδοὺς ἐν τῇ μέθῃ καθ᾿ αὑτοῦ παρρησίαν, ἀκριβῶς κατενόει τὴν ἑκάστου διάνοιαν, τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκφερομένης ἀπαρακαλύπτως διὰ τὸν οἶνον. 2ὑπάρχων δὲ καὶ φύσει γελωτοποιὸς καὶ μῖμος οὐδ᾿ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἀπείχετο τοῦ σκώπτειν τοὺς καθημένους καί τινας αὐτῶν εἰκάζειν, ὥστε τὸ πλῆθος πολλάκις εἰς γέλωτα ἐκτρέπεσθαι καθάπερ τινὰ τῶν ἠθολόγων ἢ θαυματοποιῶν θεωροῦντας. 3δορυφορούμενος δὲ ὑπὸ πλήθους εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας εἰσῄει μόνος, οὐχ ὁμοίως Διονυσίῳ τῷ τυράννῳ· οὗτος γὰρ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπίστως διέκειτο πρὸς ἅπαντας ὥστε κατὰ μὲν τὸ πλεῖστον κομᾶν καὶ πωγωνοτροφεῖν, ὅπως μὴ συναναγκασθῇ τῷ τοῦ κουρέως σιδήρῳ παραβαλεῖν τὰ κυριώτατα μέρη 314Book XX amid indulgence and a sheltered way of life and the 307 b.c. other had been trained in military service in the field and in constant campaigns. Therefore when battle was joined, Leptines quickly routed the men of Acragas and pursued them into the city; and there fell in the battle on the side of the vanquished about five hundred foot soldiers and more than fifty horsemen. Then the people of Acragas, vexed over their disasters, brought charges against Xenodocus, saying that because of him they had twice been defeated; but he, fearing the impending investigation and trial, departed to Gela. 63. Agathocles, having within a few days defeated his enemies both on land and on sea, sacrificed to the gods and gave lavish entertainments for his friends. In his drinking bouts he used to put off the pomp of tyranny and to show himself more humble than the ordinary citizens; and by seeking through a policy of this sort the goodwill of the multitude and at the same time giving men licence to speak against him in their cups he used to discover exactly the opinion of each, since through wine the truth is brought to light without concealment. Being by nature also a buffoon and a mimic, not even in the meetings of the assembly did he abstain from jeering at those who were present and from portraying certain of them, so that the common people would often break out into laughter as if they were watching one of the impersonators or conjurors. With a crowd serving as his bodyguard he used to enter the assembly unattended, unlike Dionysius the tyrant. For the latter was so distrustful of one and all that as a rule he let his hair and beard grow long so that he need not submit the most vital parts of his body to the 315
Diodorus of Sicily τοῦ σώματος· εἰ δὲ καί ποτε χρεία γένοιτο τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκείρασθαι, περιέκαε τὰς τρίχας, μίαν ἀσφάλειαν τυραννίδος ἀποφαινόμενος τὴν ἀπιστίαν. 4ὁ δ᾿ οὖν Ἀγαθοκλῆς παρὰ τὸν πότον λαβὼν ῥυτὸν μέγαν χρυσοῦν εἶπεν ὡς οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη τῆς κεραμευτικῆς τέχνης ἕως τοιαῦτα ἐκπωμάτων πλάσματα φιλοτεχνῶν ἐκεραμεύσατο. οὐ γὰρ ἀπηρνεῖτο τὴν ἐπιστήμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἐκαυχᾶτο, διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς ἀποφαινόμενος ἀντὶ τοῦ ταπεινοτάτου βίου τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον μετειληφέναι. 5καί ποτε πολιορκοῦντος αὐτοῦ τινα τῶν οὐκ ἀδόξων πόλεων καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους βοώντων “Κεραμεῦ καὶ καμινεῦ, πότε τοὺς μισθοὺς ἀποδώσεις τοῖς στρατιώταις;” ὑπολαβὼν εἶπεν 6“Ὅταν ταύτην ἐξέλω.” οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς πότοις εὐτραπελίαν κατανοήσας τῶν μεθυόντων τοὺς ἀλλοτρίως τὰ πρὸς τὴν δυναστείαν ἔχοντας παρέλαβεν αὐτούς ποτε κατ᾿ ἰδίαν πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑστίασιν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Συρακοσίων τοὺς μάλιστα πεφρονηματισμένους, τὸν ἀριθμὸν πεντακοσίους ὄντας· οἷς περιστήσας τῶν μισθοφόρων τοὺς εὐθέτους 7ἅπαντας ἀπέσφαξεν. σφόδρα γὰρ εὐλαβεῖτο μὴ χωρισθέντος αὐτοῦ εἰς Λιβύην καταλύσωσι τὴν δυναστείαν, ἐπικαλεσάμενοι τοὺς μετὰ Δεινοκράτους φυγάδας. τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον ἀσφαλισάμενος τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐξέπλευσεν ἐκ τῶν Συρακουσσῶν. 64. Καὶ κομισθεὶς εἰς Λιβύην κατέλαβε τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ καὶ σπάνει πολλῇ· διόπερ κρίνων 316Book XX steel of the barber; and if ever it became necessary 307 b.c. for him to have his head trimmed, he singed off the locks, declaring that the only safety of a tyrant was distrust.1 Now Agathocles at the drinking bout, taking a great golden cup, said that he had not given up the potters’ craft2 until in his pursuit of art he had produced in pottery beakers of such workmanship as this. For he did not deny his trade but on the contrary used to boast of it, claiming that it was by his own ability that in place of the most lowly position in life he had secured the most exalted one. Once when he was besieging a certain not inglorious city and people from the wall shouted, “Potter and furnace-man, when will you pay your soldiers?” he said in answer, “When I have taken this city.”3 None the less, however, when through the jesting at drinking bouts he had discovered which of those who were flushed with wine were hostile to his tyranny he invited them individually on another occasion to a banquet, and also those of the other Syracusans who had become particularly presumptuous, in number about five hundred; and surrounding them with suitable men from his mercenaries he slaughtered them all. For he was taking very careful precautions lest, while he was absent in Libya, they should overthrow the tyranny and recall Deinocrates and the exiles. After he had made his rule secure in this way, he sailed from Syracuse. 64. When he arrived in Libya4 he found the army discouraged and in great want: deciding, therefore, 1Cp. Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, 5. 20. 58.2Cp. Book 19. 2. 7.3Cp. Plutarch, Apophthegmata, p. 176. For the character of Agathocles cp. Book 19. 9; Polybius, 9. 23. 2; 15. 35.4For this second Libyan campaign cp. Justin, 22. 8. 4–15.317
Diodorus of Sicily συμφέρειν διαγωνίζεσθαι παρεκάλεσε τοὺς στρατιώτας εἰς τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ προαγαγὼν τὴν δύναμιν ἐκτεταγμένην προεκαλεῖτο τοὺς βαρβάρους εἰς 2μάχην. εἶχε δὲ πεζοὺς μὲν τοὺς ἅπαντας ὑπολειπομένους Ἕλληνας ἑξακισχιλίους, Κελτοὺς δὲ καὶ Σαυνίτας καὶ Τυρρηνοὺς τούτων οὐκ ἐλάττους, Λίβυας δὲ μικρὸν ἀπολείποντας τῶν μυρίων, οὓς ἐφέδρους εἶναι συνέβαινε, συμμεταβαλλομένους ἀεὶ 3τοῖς καιροῖς· χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἠκολούθουν ἱππεῖς χίλιοι πεντακόσιοι, ζεύγη δὲ Λιβύων πλείω τῶν ἑξακισχιλίων. οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι κατεστρατοπεδευκότες ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπερδεξίων καὶ δυσπροσίτων διακινδυνεύειν μὲν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀπογινώσκοντας τὴν σωτηρίαν οὐκ ἔκρινον, μένοντες δ᾿ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ καὶ πάντων εὐποροῦντες τῇ σπάνει καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ καταπολεμήσειν τοὺς ἐναντίους ἤλπιζον. 4ὁ δ᾿ Ἀγαθοκλῆς οὐ δυνάμενος μὲν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ πεδία προάγεσθαι, τῶν δὲ καιρῶν ἀναγκαζόντων τολμᾶν τι καὶ παραβάλλεσθαι τὴν δύναμιν ἤγαγεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων στρατοπεδείαν. ἐπεξελθόντων οὖν τῶν Καρχηδονίων καὶ πολὺ τῷ πλήθει καὶ ταῖς δυσχωρίαις ὑπερεχόντων ἐπὶ μέν τινα χρόνον οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα διεκαρτέρουν πάντοθεν ἐκθλιβόμενοι, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτ᾿ ἐνδόντων τῶν μισθοφόρων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἠναγκάσθησαν ἀναχωρῆσαι 5πρὸς τὴν στρατοπεδείαν. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι βαρέως ἐπικείμενοι τοὺς μὲν Λίβυας παρήλλαττον οὐδὲν ἐνοχλοῦντες, ἵνα τὴν εὔνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐκκαλέσωνται, τοὺς δ᾿ Ἕλληνας καὶ μισθοφόρους γνωρίζοντες διὰ τῶν ὅπλων ἐφόνευον, μέχρις ὅτου συνεδίωξαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν. Τότε μὲν οὖν ἀνῃρέθησαν Ἀγαθοκλέους εἰς τρισχιλίους· 318Book XX that it was best to fight a battle, he encouraged the 307 b.c. soldiers for the fray and, after leading forth the army in battle array, challenged the barbarians to combat. As infantry he had all the surviving Greeks, six thousand in number, at least as many Celts, Samnites, and Etruscans, and almost ten thousand Libyans, who, as it turned out, only sat and looked on, being always ready to change with changing conditions. In addition to these there followed him fifteen hundred horsemen and more than six thousand Libyan chariots. The Carthaginians, since they were encamped in high and inaccessible positions, decided not to risk a battle against men who had no thought of safety; but they hoped that, by remaining in their camp where they were plentifully supplied with everything, they would defeat their enemy by famine and the passage of time. But Agathocles, since he could not lure them down to the plain and since his own situation forced him to do something daring and chance the result, led his army against the encampment of the barbarians. Then when the Carthaginians came out against him, even though they were far superior in number and had the advantage of the rough terrain, Agathocles held out for some time although hard pressed on every side; but afterwards, when his mercenaries and the others began to give way, he was forced to withdraw toward his camp. The barbarians, as they pressed forward stoutly, passed by the Libyans without molesting them in order to elicit their goodwill; but recognizing the Greeks and the mercenaries by their weapons, they continued to slay them until they had driven them into their own camp. Now on this occasion about three thousand of 319
Diodorus of Sicily κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν νύκτα τὰς δυνάμεις ἀμφοτέρας συνέβη περιπεσεῖν παραλόγῳ τινὶ συμφορᾷ καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνελπίστῳ. 65. Τῶν γὰρ Καρχηδονίων μετὰ τὴν νίκην τοὺς καλλίστους τῶν αἰχμαλώτων θυόντων χαριστήρια νυκτὸς τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ πολλοῦ πυρὸς τοὺς ἱεροκαυτουμένους ἄνδρας κατέχοντος ἐξαίφνης πνεύματος ἐπιπεσόντος συνέβη τὴν ἱερὰν σκηνὴν ἀναφθῆναι, πλησίον οὖσαν τοῦ βωμοῦ, ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης τὴν στρατηγικὴν καὶ τὰς1 κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς οὔσας τῶν ἡγεμόνων, ὥστε πολλὴν ἔκπληξιν γενέσθαι καὶ φόβον κατὰ πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον. τινὲς μὲν γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἐπιχειροῦντες σβέσαι, τινὲς δὲ τὰς πανοπλίας καὶ τὰ πολυτελέστατα τῶν παρεσκευασμένων ἐκκομίζοντες ὑπὸ τῆς φλογὸς ἀπελαμβάνοντο· τῶν γὰρ σκηνῶν ἐκ καλάμου καὶ χόρτου συγκειμένων καὶ τοῦ πυρὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος βιαιότερον ἐκριπισθέντος ἡ παρὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν βοήθεια κατεταχεῖτο. 2διὸ καὶ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ταχὺ πάσης φλεγομένης πολλοὶ μὲν ἐν στεναῖς ταῖς διόδοις ἀποληφθέντες ζῶντες κατεκαύθησαν καὶ τῆς εἰς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ὠμότητος παραχρῆμα τὴν κόλασιν ὑπέσχον, αὐτῆς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἴσην τὴν τιμωρίαν πορισαμένης· τοῖς δ᾿ ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐκπίπτουσι μετὰ θορύβου καὶ κραυγῆς ἕτερος μείζων ἐπηκολούθησε κίνδυνος. 66. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλεῖ συντεταγμένων Λιβύων εἰς πεντακισχιλίους ἀποστάντες τῶν Ἑλλήνων νυκτὸς ηὐτομόλουν πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους. τούτους δὲ οἱ πρὸς τὴν κατασκοπὴν ἐκπεμφθέντες ὡς ἴδον ἐπὶ τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν Καρχηδονίων προσάγοντας, νομίσαντες τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων δύναμιν ἅπασαν 1τὰς added by Reiske.320Book XX Agathocles’ men were killed; but on the following 307 b.c night it so happened that each army was visited by a strange and totally unexpected mishap. 65. While the Carthaginians after their victory were sacrificing the fairest of their captives as thank-offerings to the gods by night, and while a great blaze enveloped the men who were being offered as victims, a sudden blast of wind struck them, with the result that the sacred hut, which was near the altar, caught fire, and from this the hut of the general caught and then the huts of the leaders, which were in line with it, so that great consternation and fear sprang up throughout the whole camp. Some were trapped by the conflagration while trying to put out the fire and others while carrying out their armour and the most valued of their possessions; for, since the huts were made of reeds and straw and the fire was forcibly fanned by the breeze, the aid brought by the soldiers came too late. Thus when almost the entire camp was in flames, many, caught in the passages which were narrow, were burned alive and suffered due punishment on the spot for their cruelty to the captives, the impious act itself having brought about a punishment to match it; and as for those who dashed from the camp amid tumult and shouting, another greater danger awaited them. 66. As many as five thousand of the Libyans who had been taken into Agathocles’ army had deserted the Greeks and were going over by night to the barbarians. When those who had been sent out as scouts saw these men coming toward the Carthaginian camp, believing that the whole army of the Greeks 321
Diodorus of Sicily διεσκευασμένην ἐπιέναι,1 ταχὺ τοῖς στρατιώταις 2ἐδήλωσαν τὴν προσιοῦσαν δύναμιν. διαδοθέντος οὖν πρὸς ἅπαντας τοῦ λόγου θόρυβος ἐνέπιπτε καὶ προσδοκία τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐφόδου. ἑκάστου δὲ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ τιθεμένου, καὶ μήτε παραγγέλματος δοθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγῶν μήτε τάξεως οὔσης μηδεμιᾶς οἱ φεύγοντες ἐνέπιπτον ἀλλήλοις· ὧν οἱ μὲν διὰ τὸ σκότος, οἱ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἔκπληξιν ἀγνοοῦντες τοὺς οἰκείους ὡς πολεμίους 3ἠμύνοντο. πολλοῦ δὲ φόνου γινομένου καὶ τῆς ἀγνοίας ἐπικρατούσης οἱ μὲν ἐν χειρῶν νόμῳ διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δ᾿ ἐκπεπηδηκότες ἄνοπλοι καὶ τὴν φυγὴν ποιούμενοι διὰ τῶν δυσχωριῶν κατεκρημνίζοντο, τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπτοημένης διὰ τὸν ἀπροσδόκητον φόβον. τὸ δὲ τέλος πλειόνων ἢ πεντακισχιλίων ἀπολομένων τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος διεσώθη πρὸς τὴν 4Καρχηδόνα. οἱ δ᾿ ἐν τῇ πόλει τότε μὲν συνεξαπατηθέντες τῇ φήμῃ τῶν ἰδίων ὑπέλαβον ἡττῆσθαι μάχῃ καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τὸ πλεῖστον διεφθάρθαι. διόπερ ἀγωνιῶντες ἀνέῳξαν τὰς πύλας καὶ μετὰ θορύβου καὶ πτοήσεως ἐδέχοντο τοὺς στρατιώτας, φοβούμενοι μὴ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις οἱ πολέμιοι συνεισπέσωσιν· ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης μαθόντες τἀληθὲς μόλις ἀπελύθησαν τῆς τῶν δεινῶν προσδοκίας. 67. Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον δι᾿ ἀπάτην καὶ προσδοκίαν ψευδῆ ταῖς ὁμοίαις περιέπεσον συμφοραῖς. τῶν γὰρ ἀποστατῶν Λιβύων μετὰ τὸν ἐμπυρισμὸν τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ τὸν γενόμενον θόρυβον οὐ τολμησάντων προάγειν, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς τοὐπίσω πάλιν ἐπανιόντων, τῶν 1ἐπιέναι Fischer: εἶναι.322Book XX was advancing ready for battle, they quickly reported 307 b.c. the approaching force to their fellow soldiers. When the report had been spread through the whole force, there arose tumult and dread of the enemy’s attack. Each man placed his hope of safety in flight; and since no order had been given by the commanders nor was there any formation, the fugitives kept running into each other. When some of them failed to recognize their friends because of the darkness and others because of fright, they fought against them as if they were enemies. A general slaughter took place; and while the misunderstanding still prevailed, some were slain in hand to hand fighting and others, who had sped away unarmed and were fleeing through the rough country, fell from cliffs, distraught in mind by the sudden panic. Finally after more than five thousand had perished, the rest of the multitude came safe to Carthage. But those in the city, who had also been deceived at that time by the report of their own people, supposed that they had been conquered in a battle and that the largest part of the army had been destroyed. Therefore in great anxiety they opened the city gates and with tumult and excitement received their soldiers, fearing lest with the last of them the enemy should burst in. When day broke, however, they learned the truth and were with difficulty freed from their expectation of disaster. 67. At this same time, however, Agathocles by reason of deceit and mistaken expectation met with similar disaster. For the Libyans who had deserted did not dare go on after the burning of the camp and the tumult that had arisen, but turned back again; 323
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